The Crocodile Core
by MushroomWings
Summary: Our group heads to Crocodile Isle, with the hopes of achieving K. Rool's help.
1. Prologue: A Power

_**Crocoga probably faired the best out of the four islands after they split, if only because it still drew energy from the swirling ocean of energy that had kept Homura afloat when it was whole. The island's inhabitants had desired their ruler's descendants to have a power similar to what the other three new islands gained, and so the Mage fused the core with their blood, allowing them and their descendants to use the extra energy from the core to perform powerful, wonderous feats.**_

 _ **Not all future carriers of the ability used it for good. Some were known to have destroyed other islands with the vast amount of power they had been bestowed, while others eradicated whole sections of races.**_


	2. Chapter 1: Island Life

It was REALLY fucking easy to gain access to land. No one even seemed alerted to the fact there even were Kongs on the island, despite them being a rival faction.

It was really interesting for the kids to see the common life of the Kremlings themselves. It was just as a lot of them had suspected, and mirrored something similar to their own daily lives. As the group walked to the stronghold in the middle of the main city, Cherah became enthralled by a street entertainer. Sodoma and Dixie both noticed and stopped to make sure she was all right.

"Cherah, come on, little one," Sodoma said softly, nudging the child along once the performance was over. "We can come back if we have some time later. OK?"

"OK," Cherah replied simply.

"It's... it feels peaceful," Diddy noted. "Not at all like I remember it."

"It does seem very quaint, huh?" DK asked. Admittedly, our favorite hero was a little homesick, but he would never admit it. He hadn't seen Kongo Bongo for a few days, and it made him uneasy.

Oh well... at least he had a piece of home with him in his friends.

They finally reached the castle after some time and a few distractions. A guard stepped towards them, somehow being the only one to recognize who the majority of them were.

"Halt!" he shouted. "What are you Kongs doing here?"

"We have very urgent business with K. Rool," DK said. "Please. We mean no threat."

"I think we should believe them," the other guard said. "The two younger girls with them are not members of their faction, possibly not even of their island, and seem in no immediate distress."

The first guard stiffened at this notion.

"Very well," he replied. "I will take my colleague's advice. I would have you speak to the queen instead if it's this urgent a matter to bring two girls from the other main families into this. You will find her in the large room directly ahead of you."


	3. Chapter 2: Threat

"Kongs?" K. Rool shouted, noticing their entrance. All guards turned their heads immediately to the entrance. "What are you all doing here?"

"We've come to ask a favor of the... queen?" DK said, looking to Wrinkly, who nodded, on the last word.

"Her Majesty is not in at the moment," one guard replied.

"Then why is she right behind you?" Wrinkly asked.

The guard jumped at the new presence, and quickly regained his figure and bowed respectfully in the presence of the true ruler of Crocodile Isle.

"Introduc-"

"Please do refrain from doing that once more," the queen said respectively.

"Queen Corelia," the guard coughed. Corelia turned to her son, who seemed a little alarmed at his mother's presence.

"Kris, what is the meaning of this?" she asked.

"They've come to attack you, Mother!" K. Rool trembled. Corelia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" She gestured to them. "How would they do that bare-handed?"

"I-I-"

"We've not come here to do anyone any harm," Cranky replied. "We promise. Were the situation not in dire, we would not have come here to bother you."

"Queen Corelia, we are very sorry for the inconvience," DK stuttered. "W-we know you're b-"

"Get on with it then, please," Corelia responded blandly.

"An ancient tribe called the Lombado is attempting to revive their race and thus the war that split the islands eons ago," Dixie explained. "Without mutual help from Crocodile Isle, the worst may possibly happen."

All the Crocs went silent. Corelia seemed surprised and K. Rool seemed terrified.

"Corelia, you and the lives of anyone with the Mage of Crocoga's blood are in great danger," Wrinkly said. "You may think it's all fine and dandy, but in reality the situation is already much worse than it needs to be. The Lombado will come. They will harm any of you that even show the slightest hint of being able to harness the energy of the Core. And they will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. We have wielders for the Coconut, the Tear, and the Sun, but what we lack is a wielder of the Core."

"Without your help, all the islands and their people are doomed," DK added. "You and K. Rool are the most likely candidates for the ability to harness the Core. We beg of your assistance."

"And we must act soon," Diddy said. "The longer we wait here, the more time the Lombado has to amount an army to take both of you. In fact, it's really a miracle they haven't hit here yet! The only thing I can think of as to why they haven't is that they don't realize yet they need a Core wielder."

All the Crocs looked between each other. Finally, K. Rool spoke.

"I will go with them," he said.

"Kris-" Corelia started.

"No, Mother!" She looked shocked. "You are the true ruler of this island, of our tribe. What would Crocodile Isle be without her queen? The Kremlings don't believe I will make a suitable king. I want to prove to them that I can be willing to risk my life for them, not just for selfish reasons, but for their own good!"

Silence.

"Wait, K. Rool is still just a prince?" Diddy asked.

"Shush!" Dixie quieted. Corelia sighed.

"Fine," she said, holding her head high despite the sudden urge to cry. "You will assist them. But I expect you to return safely."

"We will make sure he does, Your Highness," Wrinkly assured, approaching slowly. The queen turned and walked down to her.

"My old friend," Corelia murmured, "please, please, make sure he is safe."

"We will."

"You should make sure to double down on guards, Mother," K. Rool said. "If what they say is true, once these people come here and see me gone..."

He stopped, the mere thought of what could happen to her too much to bear.

"I'll be fine, Kris," Corelia murmured. "Go now. Hurry and get this over with as fast as possible."

K. Rool gave her one last longing look and followed the others out of the room.

It was a solemn trek back to the ship. K. Rool, Diddy, Dixie, and Hikari somehow managed to strike up a friendly conversation, despite the circumstances and the rilvalries between their factions. DK kept replaying the events inside the castle, and each time his heart sank remembering the interaction between K. Rool and Corelia. The events on Credd Rock concerning Dixie and her own mother would play back each time, only making the thoughts worse. He looked to Wrinkly, who was busy chasing after Cherah after the child decided to play a minor game of tag which ended abruptly when Cranky picked up the youngest member of the entourage and carried her like a stack of books under his arm, and he was struck with the thought that either of them could very well be dead by the end of this.

It wasn't until they were half-way back to the ship when Wrinkly stopped, realizing someone wasn't walking with them anymore. She turned back to see DK a good distance away, looking utterly distraught.

"DK? she asked, approaching him. He looked at her, and she could tell by the look in his eyes something was weighing heavily on his mind. "What's wrong?"

"I keep thinking back to how K. Rool and his mother interacted," he started in a whisper. "And then I think back to what happened with Dixie, when that Lombadan taunted her by saying her mom was dead."

"You're worried about how all this is going to turn out, aren't you?" DK nodded. "We'll survive this, I promise. And if we don't... well... feel free to punch my ghost, OK?"

This pulled a strangled-sounding laugh from him.

"I'm being serious," he said.

"I am too," Wrinkly replied. "I'll tell you what, when we get back to Kongo Bongo, we'll marathon the entire Mother trilogy and other games like it, OK? Even that old Earthbound Halloween hack!"

"OK."


	4. Chapter 3: Kidnap

PLEASE NOTE: This will be the last chapter in a story listed under the T rating. The next few stories have more adult themes and events that are not suitable for children, and so I will be giving them an M rating. PM me if you want more details on what exactly these events are.

XxXxXxXxX

What had happened?

The last thing anyone remembered was boarding the ship. Now, they were out at sea and Sodoma was missing, a note in her place, demanding the artifacts in exchange for her return.

"How are we even supposed to know where to bring them?" Hikari asked.

"The note says to bring them to Accursed Fields on Hitobashira Glade," DK said, rereading the note for the umpteenth time.

"It makes sense they'd choose there to be the negotiating grounds," Diddy said. "Weren't it also the Lombado that made it what it is now?"

"Yes, it was." DK looked back to the note. "What to do? We can't give them away. As long as we have them, the Lombado can't go through with their plan."

"is Sodoma gonna be OK?" Cherah asked softly.

"Yes," Dixie said, although her tone sounded unsure. "Of course she will be, Cherah. We'll have her back in no time."

"It's too bad the decoy for the Tear is gone," Hikari muttered. "Although why only one was ever made is beyond me."

"I had completely forgotten about the decoys," Cranky said, suddenly standing and hurrying to the control room of the ship.

"What are you doing?" Diddy asked.

"Setting in the coordinates for Hitobashira." Cranky grinned at the hat-wearing boy. "I've got a plan, and it just might be crazy enough to work."


End file.
